Category Archives: Press Releases

November 10, 2016 · 6:20 am

Fun, Festive, and Fresh MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Opening at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

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Jeremy Dubin as Benedick & Miranda McGee as Beatrice. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

CINCINNATI, October 28, 2016 — Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues their 2016-2017 mainstage season with Shakespeare’s beloved comedy MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, playing November 18- December 10, 2016.  This production is directed by CSC Artistic Associate Sara Clark and features the entire Cincinnati Shakespeare Resident Ensemble including Jeremy Dubin, Miranda McGee, Geoffrey Barnes, and Billy Chace. This production is sponsored by Frost Brown Todd and Messer.

Beatrice (Miranda McGee) and Benedick (Jeremy Dubin) are perfect for each other – it’s a pity they can’t stand each other. Their friends make it their mission to tame the pair’s warring wits and trick them into falling hopelessly in love. Meanwhile, the conniving Don John (Geoffrey Barnes) schemes to slander the honor of Hero (Maggie Lou Rader), Beatrice’s virtuous cousin, and destroy her coming marriage. Only the combined wit of Beatrice and Benedick – as well as a well-timed intervention by the bumbling constabulary, led by Dogberry (Billy Chace) – can save the day. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING features zingy repartee, dastardly villains, and warm-hearted romance, and it’s the perfect choice for a chilly winter night!

“It’s a dream come true to play Beatrice on this stage,” says Miranda McGee. “I’ve always identified with her. I feel like everything she goes through as a character, with her sharpness and then her softening as she finds love, I’ve gone through as a person. Also, I’ve grown so much as a performer in my time with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and I’m so excited to play this role in front of the audience that has watched me grow up.” Director Sara Clark says of the play, “It’s smart and sexy, charming and delightful, rife with opportunities for shtick but not reliant on them. The play is a beautiful confection, with some actual substance in its middle.”

The production is set in the time period following the Revolutionary War and features modern design pops in costume and prop pieces to keep the show fun, festive, and fresh.  The production is a great choice for the whole family.

Performances of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING are scheduled from November 18- December 10, 2016 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. No show on Thanksgiving Nov. 25, show added Saturday Nov. 26 at 2 p.m.  There is no performance on Sunday Nov. 20.  Preview performances are on Wednesday Nov. 18 and Thursday Nov. 19 at 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

The theater is currently located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  Single ticket prices range from $22-$38 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$42 on Fridays and Saturdays.  Previews are $25.  If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased one hour before a show with a valid student ID.  This production is a part of this season’s subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.  Ticketing fees may apply.  Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at http://www.cincyshakes.com.

About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages.  Currently located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. In the summer of 2017, the theater will relocate to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC’s repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions.  In 2015, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

About The 2016-2017 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.

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November 9, 2016 · 6:22 am

GHOSTS OF WAR: THE TRUE STORY OF A 19-YEAR-OLD GI | Fri., Dec. 9 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

caa_ghosts-of-war-logoCINCINNATI, OH  – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is pleased to present the Griffin Theatre Company’s production of Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI by Ryan Smithson, adapted for the stage by William Massolia, on Friday, December 9, 2016 at 8:00 PM at the Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater.  The show is part of CAA’S 2016-17 Season.

Tickets are $30 and are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.  Group discount tickets for 10 or more are available by calling (513) 977-4157.

The Griffin Theatre Company returns to the Aronoff Center for a second year with a show about the impact of war. Ryan Smithson was a typical 16-year-old high-school student until 9/11. “I’d thought about joining the military the moment I saw the towers fall,” he relates in this profoundly moving theatrical production based on Smithson’s acclaimed memoir. Smithson enlisted in the Army Reserve the following year and, a year into the Iraq war, was deployed to an Army engineer unit as a heavy-equipment operator. His poignant, often harrowing account, especially vivid in sensory details, chronicles his experiences in basic training and his tour of duty in Iraq.

“Only after we have been completely destroyed can we begin to find ourselves,” Smithson says of his basic training, offering an unflinchingly honest portrait of the physical and psychological brutality of that experience. His account of his tour of duty in Iraq is no less compelling. He lucidly recounts the intensity of battle and the pain of losing comrades. For Smithson, the war is a source of personal enlightenment, and this one-man play is a remarkable, deeply penetrating exploration of duty, patriotism and sacrifice.

To enhance the theatrical experience, the performance is followed by a post-play discussion.   

Griffin Theatre Company
The mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. The Griffin achieves this mission and vision through artistic collaboration, produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience. The company is supported by an ensemble of Artist in Residence with a range of disciplines include acting, designing, directing and production.

Over the last twenty-five years the Griffin has provided a wide range of work including world and mid-west premieres of acclaimed scripts, critically lauded productions of Shakespeare and original adaptations of novels. Many of the Griffin’s 100 plus productions have appeared on Chicago area critics “Best of the Year” lists. The Griffin is the recipient of 46 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theatre excellence in Chicago and numerous other awards and citations for its work. Last year the Griffin Theatre had the pleasure to perform its touring productions for over 100,000 young people and adults nationwide. 

For more information about the Griffin Theatre Company and Ghosts of War, visit www.GriffinTheatre.com. 

Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSORS 

Season Sponsors:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hyatt Regency Cincinnati , Macy’s, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth, Ultimate Air Shuttle, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.4 million students.

For more information, visit www.CincinnatiArts.org.

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November 2, 2016 · 7:03 am

Pull Up a Chair – Know Theatre Has Some Stories to Share at DARKEST NIGHT AT THE GNARLY STUMP

ktc_darkest-night-at-gnarly-stump-logoPULL UP A CHAIR – WE HAVE SOME STORIES TO SHARE AT

DARKEST NIGHT AT THE GNARLY STUMP
A world premiere Appalachian ghost story by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin
With original music by Paul Strickland

Directed by Brant Russell
November 26 – December 17

On the darkest night of the year, residents of a secluded Kentucky town gather at local pub, The Gnarly Stump, to share ghost stories and songs.

When an outsider arrives reporting the mysterious disappearance of her sister, the lines between story and reality blur…

This world premiere commissioned by Know Theatre pairs an original tale from the writers behind Know’s Saturday the 14th (2015) and We Will Rise: Stories from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project (2012 & 2014) with music and lyrics from Paul Strickland, local fringe favorite and author of The Trailer Park Trilogy (2013-2016), My Messed Upera (2016), and co-author of Andy’s House of [blank] (2015).

Stories passed down from Celtic traditions blend with local lore, some true personal tales, and original music inspired by the melodies of Appalachia, forming the backbone of this brand-new theatrical adventure.

There is more than just trees in the woods around The Gnarly Stump. Strange occurrences are not uncommon. People lose their way. Are these mere coincidences? Or are there supernatural forces at play, lingering from times long past?

More than a play, DARKEST NIGHT AT THE GNARLY STUMP will be an experience unlike any other MainStage production you’ve seen at the Know.

Our trusted design team is working hard to transform our own Underground Bar into The Gnarly Stump. You’ll gather alongside the town’s local residents on the darkest night of the year, in your favorite cozy local tavern (The Know Underground). And the stories and songs will unfold all around you.

Brant Russell (University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music) will bring this mystical world to life as director. About this project, Brant says,

“The Gnarly Stump might be a dive bar in Kentucky, but it’s also a metaphorical space that welcomes us all: it’s where we confront our prejudices, comfort each other, and embrace what we once thought impossible.”

Joining him is a star-studded cast of Know favorites and Know debuts:

Longtime Know Theatre artist Derek Snow returns to the Know stage for the first time since 2015’s The Hunchback of Seville. Michael Sherman (Walnut Hills High School Theatre Director) returns after a smash-hit turn in last season’s All Childish Things — and he’s joined by his wife Lisa DeRoberts, whose hilarious antics in 2015’s Hearts Like Fists made her a fan favorite. Rounding out our Know veterans in the cast is Lindsey Mercer, who joins us onstage for the first time since Hundred Days, after directing (and sometimes drumming in) our summer musical  Girlfriend.

Making their MainStage season debuts in this musical tale are Lormarev Jones (Playhouse in the Park) and Gabriella DiVincenzo (UC-CCM).

Alongside them will be Paul Strickland on guitar and Linsey Rogers on fiddle, whose underscoring and accompaniment will add lush, traditional flavor to the tight harmonies and soaring melodies of the show’s original score.

Says Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford,

“When nights are long at the close of the year, we all gather together to tell and create the stories of our lives. So while Gnarly Stump isn’t a Holiday show, I think it’s perfectly suited to the season. It’s an opportunity to find comfort in the dark, a reminder that none of us are alone. And, like any gathering of friends, it’s bound to be a good time.”

DARKEST NIGHT AT THE GNARLY STUMP opens November 26 and runs through December 17 in the Underground. Bring your family, bring your friends, and pull up a chair – we have a story to share!

Cast in Alphabetical Order: Lisa DeRoberts, Gabriella DiVincenzo, Lormarev Jones, Lindsey Mercer, Michael Sherman, Derek Snow

Musicians:

  • Paul Strickland – guitar & vocals
  • Linsey Rogers – fiddle & vocals

Production Team

  • Director – Brant Russell
  • Music Director – Paul Strickland
  • Lighting & Scenic Designer – Andrew Hungerford
  • Prop Designer & Scenic Charge – Sarah Beth Hall
  • Costume Designer – Noelle Wedig
  • Sound Designer – Doug Borntrager

About Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin
Writing partners Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin met in high school when they both worked for the same New England Shakespeare Company. After graduating from Brown and Stanford respectively, they worked in theater before transitioning to screenwriting. They still maintain a presence in the theater world with a keen interest in immersive, site-specific theatrical pieces.

They adapted the Grimm fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses as an animated musical feature for Amazon Studios. Last spring, they sold the live-action Mulan to Disney. Recently, they’ve been writing an animated adventure feature for Sony Pictures Animation. They are proud members of the Writers Guild of America West. Currently, they serve as the vice-chair and co-chair of the Committee of Women Writers at the WGAW.

Calendar Listing

Production:   Darkest Night at the Gnarly Stump by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin with music & lyrics by Paul Strickland

When:            

  • 8:00pm November 26, 30; December 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
  • 3:00pm November 27; December 4*, 11

*A pre-show brunch is available on this date with purchase of $35 “Brunch + Show” tickets in advance. Deadline for brunch reservation is November 27. Brunch provided by Water Tower Fine Wines

Where:

Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.

Tickets:

  • $25 regular Price
  • $15 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)
  • FREE walkup tickets on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment initiative. (Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00). Free walkup tickets are available beginning one hour before showtime on the day of the show. 50 free tickets will be available for every Welcome Experiment Wednesday performance.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling                                                           513.300.5669 (KNOW).

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.

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November 1, 2016 · 6:35 am

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Return for the Holidays with the Character Crew

PIP_logo(CINCINNATI) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati are joining together once again to bring beloved characters to life across the Tristate with a number of special holiday appearances beginning Nov. 12.

ETC_new_logo_bannerCharacters from Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s 26th annual production of A Christmas Carol, presented by U.S. Bank; Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s world premiere production of the musical Cinderella: After Ever After, sponsored by Macy’s; and The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s holiday production of Elf The Musical JR., also sponsored by Macy’s, will spread holiday cheer at events around the city from mid-November through Nov. 27.

The Character Crew will make appearances at the following holiday attractions:

  • Saturday, Nov. 12 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.): Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market, Duke Energy Convention Center
  • Friday, Nov. 18 (5 to 7 p.m.): Festival of Lights Members’ Preview, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  • Saturday, Nov. 19 (9 a.m. to noon): Cincinnati Pops Family Lollipops Concert, Taft Theatre (The CSO’s Tempo the Penguin character will also make an appearance at this event)
  • Saturday, Nov. 19 (2 to 4 p.m.): Crafty Supermarket, University of Cincinnati Recreation Center
  • Friday, Nov. 25 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.): Tree Lighting and Santa Arrival, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
  • Saturday, Nov. 26 (5:30 to 7 p.m.): Macy’s Downtown Dazzle, Fountain Square
  • Sunday, Nov. 27 (noon to 2 p.m.): Winterfair, Northern Kentucky Convention Center

TCTC_new logoThe Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has been offering local audiences the finest in professional theatre for 57 years. Winner of two Tony Awards, the Playhouse is nationally known for its commitment to new works and as an artistic home for America’s best actors, directors and designers. Faithful storytelling and spellbinding special effects combine in the Playhouse’s annual production of A Christmas Carol, one of the city’s most popular family plays, which returns Nov. 23 through Dec. 31 for its 26th season. For more information, visit www.cincyplay.com.

Now in its 31st season, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC), located in historic Over-the-Rhine, is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. This season marks the 19th year ETC has been presenting family-friendly musicals for the holidays. This season, ETC presents Cinderella: After Ever After, a brand-new sequel to its best-selling show ever, from Nov. 30 through Dec. 30. For more information, visit www.ensemblecincinnati.org. 

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) brings art to life for children and the young-at-heart through three key programs: MainStage at the Taft Theatre, TCT On Tour and TCT Academy. Currently celebrating its 92nd season, TCTC is the oldest children’s theatre in the country and serves nearly 200,000 children, families and students each season. From Dec. 10 through Dec. 18, The Children’s Theatre presents the holiday classic Elf The Musical JR. For more information, visit www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

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October 27, 2016 · 7:25 am

An Evening with Garrison Keillor | Fri., May 19 | Aronoff Center

caa_an-evening-with-garrison-keillor-logo

CINCINNATI, OH  – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is pleased to present An Evening with Garrison Keillor at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Friday, May 19 at 8:00 PM. The event is part of CAA’s 2016-17 Season.

Tickets are $70, $50, $40, and $30, and are on sale Friday, November 4 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.  Group discount tickets for 10 or more are available by calling (513) 977-4157.

In a solo performance, the acclaimed former host of A Prairie Home Companion shares hilarious anecdotes about growing up in the American Midwest, the people of Lake Wobegon, and “late-life fatherhood.” With a wonderful, dry sense of humor, Keillor captivates audiences using his unique blend of comedy, class, charisma, and wisdom.

One of the most prolific American storytellers of all time, Garrison Keillor is a writer and humorist best known for his popular live radio variety show, A Prairie Home Companion, which attracts more than four million listeners on more than six hundred public radio stations each week.

Keillor is also the host of the daily radio and online program, The Writers Almanac, and the editor of several anthologies of poetry, most recently, Good Poems: American Places. A best-selling author, he has published more than two dozen books, including Lake Wobegon Days, The Book of Guys, Pilgrims, Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny, and Homegrown Democrat. In 2006, Keillor played himself alongside a cast that included Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline, in the critically-acclaimed film adaptation of A Prairie Home Companion, directed by Robert Altman.

With Grammy, ACE, and George Foster Peabody awards, Keillor has also been honored with the National Humanities Medal, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

For more information about Garrison Keillor, visit www.garrisonkeillor.com.

Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSORS

Season Sponsors:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Macy’s, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth, Ultimate Air Shuttle, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.4 million students.  http://www.CincinnatiArts.org

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